OLIVIER NOBLECOURT

Olivier Noblecourt graduated from the Grenoble Institute of Political Studies, and started his professional career by holding executive and then elective positions within Grenoble Municipality. In 2008, he became deputy mayor in charge of social and family action and vice-president of the Grenoble-Alpes Métropole urban community from 2008 to 2014 where he was responsible for social housing and access to housing. He also held the presidency of the city’s municipal social action center (CCAS), known as a cutting-edge laboratory of social innovation.

Olivier Noblecourt also brought his expertise at the national level on the issues of poverty alleviation, early childhood and youth integration. In particular, he worked for the National Council of Local Missions, participated in the work of the Green Youth Paper in 2009, the elaboration of the multiannual plan for the fight against poverty and for social inclusion in 2012, and on the Bacqué-Mechmache report on the participation and politics of the city. He also authored several reports on early childhood (Terra Nova, 2013), the integration of migrant women (2014) and social experimentation in local authorities.

From 2014 to 2017, Olivier held several positions in the cabinet of Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem and worked on equality between women and men, youth and national education. From June to November 2017, he was also director of the “Urbanism and social cohesion” program at the General Commissariat for Investment.

ZORNITSA ROUSSINOVA

Zornitsa Roussinova has held various positions in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Since May 2017 she is Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy. She is responsible for EU Funds, international programmes and projects, international cooperation, coordination of EU-related issues and the preparation of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018. She also oversees and coordinates the work of the Directorate General European Affairs and International Cooperation.

Zornitsa Roussinova has extensive experience in programme and project management which she acquired while working for the UN Development Programme, the US Agency for International Development and the Bulgarian – Swiss Cooperation Programme.

She holds a Masters degree in international economic relations from the University for National and World Economy and Masters degrees in Bulgarian and English from Sofia University.

MAYTE SANCHO

Mayte Sancho is a national and international expert in planification and new models of care for the elderly. She is currently the Director of Service Planning of Matia Foundation in Spain. She has a long career in the Social Security Management Body of IMSERSO, as OECD Expert in Social Protection and Aging (1992-1995), Vice president and member of the Technical Committee of the Spanish Geriatrics and Gerontology Society (SEGG), Director of the Observatory on Aging and Dependency in IMSERSO (1998-2008), Co-Director of the online portal “Mayores’, Coordinator in Spain of the Project “Elder Abuse of the Elderly” in the World Health Organization (2002-2007), General Coordinator of the “Active ageing, preventing dependency” project of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SEGG) – Obra Social Caja Madrid (2003-2007). Coordinator of de project “Caring for others the way we woud like to be cared for” (Matia Foundation- “La Caixa” Foundation, 2016). Coordinator of the Project “ETXEAN BIzi (At home well)” (Council of Guipuzcoa-Matia Foundation, 2017-2019). She holds a Degree in Psychology from the Complutense University of Madrid and a Master’s Degree in Social Gerontology from the Autonomous University of Madrid.

KEVIN GOLDBERG

Kevin Goldberg is the Executive Director of the “International Action’ branch of GROUPE SOS. GROUPE SOS is a social enterprise created as a non-profit over thirty years ago to combat social exclusion in all its forms. Since then, it has gradually diversified its activities, and now responds to societal needs in eight sectors of activity: Youth, Employment, Solidarity, Health, Senior citizens, Culture, Ecological Transition and International Action.
Before taking the head of the newly created “International Action” branch in 2017, Kevin served as GROUPE SOS European and national Partnerships Manager. As part of his functions, he worked on the set-up of social and societal projects gathering actors from the public, private and non-profit sectors, with the aim to maximise their impact and generate responsible innovation. Prior to joining Groupe SOS, Kevin has been working as an adviser for the national association of French town mayors in the fields of European policies, sustainable development and new technologies. He also worked at the European parliament and in public affairs consultancies. Kevin is a graduate from the College of Europe and Sciences Po Grenoble.

HERMINIA PALACIO

Dr. Herminia Palacio was appointed Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services in January 2016. She oversees the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Health + Hospitals, Human Resources Administration, Department of Homeless Services, Administration for Children’s Services, Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Office to Combat Domestic Violence and Office of Food Policy.

With 25 years of experience in a range of health and social services professions, she is tasked with addressing homelessness across the five boroughs, developing a citywide network for mental health support, coordinating across the City’s public healthcare system, improving access to social services for all New Yorkers, and ensuring Agencies that oversee the City’s most vulnerable populations, such as children and victims of domestic violence, are run compassionately and effectively.

LIEVE FRANSEN

Dr. LIEVE FRANSEN is a senior social and health policy advisor with a range of different institutions, businesses and think thanks.
She is medical doctor specialized in global public health and social policies worldwide and has a PhD in social policies.
Dr Fransen has a considerable and recognised experience in development policies and European policies and institutions. She worked extensively on formulating evidence based policies on social investment and innovation, pensions, health and health care and gender, HIv and Population and recently implementing the SDGS, energy poverty and social infrastructure investment
She worked as a Medical Doctor and clinical and public health researcher and international public health in the developing world and in Europe. Dr Fransen has had a distinguished career which includes a role as Public Health Advisor to the Ministry of Health in Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, India and the Cape Verde Islands. She also created several new initiatives such as the Global Fund for aids, malaria and TB and was a founding board member and the vice chair of the Board of the same organisation.
She is a well-recognized policy maker at senior management level in the EU in a range of different departments fi in Development, Trade and External relations, Communication and Political Reporting and Social affairs and Employment in the European Commission. She was the director for Social Policy and the European strategy for 2020 and the European semester in the European Commission until May 2015.
Dr Fransen received a wide range of awards and recognitions for her lifetime work and is member of several Boards worldwide.

IBRAHIM AL-SHAER

Dr. Ibrahim Al-Shaer has 25 years of experience in higher education. He spent his first 7 years of professional experience teaching different linguistics courses at several universities. He was also the Director of Al-Quds Open University in Bethlehem for 10 years. Then he served as the President Assistant for Innovation and Excellence between September 2013 and December 2015. He is currently the Minister of Social Development in the 17thgovernment of the State of Palestine.

Dr. Al-Shaer obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English language and a Diploma in secondary education in 1986 from Bethlehem University. He was a recipient of a 1989 scholarship from the British Council, to study for a Master of Linguistics for ELT at Lancaster University. Dr Al-Shaer was also a recipient of a 1998 scholarship from ASAI in conjunction with Al-Quds Open University to study for a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Reading. Dr Al-Shaer’s main research interests are in the fields of psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, construction grammar, semantics, syntax, ELT applications, writing skill, corpus linguistics, e-learning, innovation, and creativity.

ANDRES RAMOS VAZQUEZ

On February 1, 1997, Manuel Andres Ramos Vazquez was appointed Deputy General Director of Fundación ONCE. On June 1, 2000, he was appointed the 3rd Vice-president of the General Council and on September 3, 2001, the 2nd Vice-president of the same body. With effect of April 27, 2011, he is appointed 1st Vice President of the General Council, a position he has held until January 14, 2015, when he was appointed Deputy General Directorate of Social Services for ONCE Affiliates.

He holds a Bachelor in Geography and History.

LUCIA DAL NEGRO

Lucia Dal Negro is the founder and director of the Italian BOP Lab called “De-LAB’. De-LAB was founded in 2013 and works on inclusive business, social innovation and ethical communication. Previously, she worked with the Italian Cooperation Agency to write the first Italian public grant on inclusive business, she cooperated with the Holy See Delegation at the UN Offices in Geneva on migrants’ rights, with ActionAid on gender issues, and with UNEP/Wuppertal Institute on sustainable consumption and production.

Lucia graduated in International Relations at the Catholic University of Milan. She worked as a research fellow at CNR – National Research Council on the Economics of Sustainable Consumption and Production. She has a PhD and a MSc in Environment and Development.

She has been listed amongst the seventy Female founders worth considering in 2014 by Girls in Tech.org. She was also a speaker of the first edition of TEDx in Verona and she was awarded by the Chamber of Commerce of Turin for De-LAB’s “Most Innovative Business Model”. She has also been an official speaker at Disruptive Innovation Festival 2017.

CHRISTIAN BODEWIG

Program Leader for Inclusive Growth in European Union Member States, Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, Belgium

As Program Leader, Christian Bodewig coordinates the Bank’s program in education, health, poverty and social protection and labor in European Union Member States. Prior to his current assignment he worked in the East Asia and Pacific department where he coordinated the Bank’s human development program in Vietnam and led analytical and lending activities in early childhood development, skills and social assistance.